1890
Oct. 7
Lake Umbagog, Maine.
Cloudy and raw with strong S.E. wind and light rain early
in the evening increasing to a steady rain later in the 
night and changing to snow towards the next morning. 
  Jim discovered a flock of Scoters in the Lake off B. Brook
cove this morning. Just as we were about starting in 
pursuit of them the steamer appeared and from it
a number of shots were fired at them. Two sportsmen
came in from the steamer to make us a call so
that we did not get out until nearly ten
o'clock. We found a flock of twelve Surf Scoters very 
near shore just inside of B. Brook point. Brushing
both boats with green alders we paddled up within 
thirty yards of them. There were four old males which
kept together and led the others. Melvin fired both 
barrels at them and missed. I killed two of the
gray birds with my first barrel and one with my
second but one of the three "came to life" again
after the manner of Scoters and taking to diving, 
escaped. The survivors flew only a few hundred years
and we tried them again. This time the flock rose
at fully 200 yards but came toward us. Melvin
shot one and I made a double at two of 
the drakes getting both down at about 60 yards.
One fell dead; the other I had to shoot over. 
We next found a flock of eight old male Surf 
Scoters but they were so shy that we could not
get near them. After lunching on the ledge at
the end of the point we rowed into Glaspy Cove
and found four Surf Scoters near shore. Melvin
paddled to them and shot down a pair as they 
rose but one escaped. The other two passed
[margin]Surf Scoters.[/margin]
[margin]"Coot" shooting[/margin]